Musings on loyalty (long)

[Susan McGee]

No: HPFGUIDX 1160

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, Peg Kerr <pkerr06 at a...> wrote:
> Have been thinking about what the books have to say about loyalty. 
Quite
> a lot, actually.
> 
> It occurred to me recently that one reason (among many) that Rowling
> included the whole house elf subplot was that it was both a
> foreshadowing and an ironic commentary on the scene between 
Voldemort
> and the Deatheaters in the graveyard. Think about it: isn't there
> something rather similar between Winky, groveling at the Quidditch 
match
> while Crouch, Sr., says "I have no use for a house elf who disobeys 
me"
> and Wormtail groveling before Voldemort, as Voldemort taunts him 
that
> perhaps he isn't loyal enough.  Loyalty, as demonstrated between 
Harry,
> Ron, Hermione, Sirius, the Weasley family, and Dumbldore is highly
> valued--but the house elf plot, like the story of Voldemort and his
> followers is included to warn us: "Be careful: if you wish to give 
your
> loyalty to someone, be sure that they deserve it."
> 
> What is the difference between loyalty as demonstrated Our Team 
(Harry
> and his friends)
> versus as demonstrated by the Other team 1) the house elfs and their
> masters (all the masters we've seen are dark wizards and 2) the 
Other
> Team (Voldemort and his followers?)
> 
> Well, on Our Team, loyalty is reciprocal (meaning it goes both 
ways),
> and it is flows between people who consider themselves to be equals.
> Harry helps Ron and Hermione, knowing that they, in turn will help 
him.
> This is demonstrated perhaps most effectively when Harry recognizes 
that
> since he and Cedric have helped each other, they are equals, and he
> acknowledges this by suggesting that they take the Triwizard cup
> together. Loyalty is demanded, but not in the nature of a one-up,
> one-down relationship, but because people on Our Team are 
responsible
> for each other and look out for one another. Remember Hagrid 
scolding
> Ron and Harry in PoA for snubbing Hermione: "I thought you two would
> value your friend more'n broomsticks or rats." And remember what 
Sirius
> said to Wormtail, when Wormtail protested that he had to betray 
James
> and Lily (turn his back on his loyalties) to save himself:
> 
> Wormtail: "He would have killed me, Sirius!"
> 
> Sirius: "Then you should have died--died rather than betrayed your
> friends AS WE WOULD
> HAVE DONE FOR YOU."
> 
> On the Other Team, however, loyalty is definitely not reciprocal.
> Remember in the first book
> when Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort left Quirrel to die: "He
> shows just as little mercy
> to his followers as his enemies." The house elf masters that we have
> seen (Malfoy, Crouch)
> consider loyalty as something they demand from their servants, but 
do
> not seem to think they
> owe anything to their house elves in return. Voldemort, too, when 
the
> death eaters come,
> scolds them for how they has let him down, and punish some, 
cruelly. But
> although he gives
> Wormtail back a hand, my impression is that everyone understands 
that
> all the giving is going
> to flow toward Voldemort, not the other way around--unless he 
decides to
> reward his
> follows on a whim. Note, too, that the Deatheaters return 
this "loyalty"
> of Voldemort's with
> coin just about as false. They come back to him out of fear, or 
because
> he can offer them
> scope for depraved pleasures--not because they think, "By gum, my 
friend
> Voldemort is in a
> spot of trouble, and he needs me, and I know he's always stuck up 
for me
> before." Others,
> observing the characters of these Death eaters, note that their 
loyalty
> is false. Karkaroff and
> Wormtail, for example, both guage their loyalty to Voldemort by
> calculating first and foremost
> what's in it for them.
> 
> Other thoughts: it was something about loyalty, or more 
specifically,
> about choosing sides, that led to the first falling out between 
Draco
> and Harry.  Remember the scene on the train, first year: Draco 
wanted
> Harry to join "his side" and appealed to him to avoid Ron and 
others of
> that ilk.
> 
> Draco: "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better
> than others, Potter.  You don't want to go making friends with the 
wrong
> sort.  I can help you there."
> 
> Harry: "I think I can tell who are the wrong sort for myself, 
thanks."
> 
> The whole Mudblood story line is also about loyalty: which side 
will you
> stand with?  Purebloods only, or all wizards, including Mudbloods?
> 
> Look at how much dramatic mileage Rowling gets out of many 
characters
> like Quirrel, Moody and Krum, Karkaroff, Fudge and Snape, where a 
big
> part of the plot (and the surprises) hinges on: where does this 
person's
> loyalty truly lie?
> 
> Think about the implications of the students being sorted into four
> houses, and the interhouse competition, and the Triwizard 
tournament.
> Rowling is doing a lot in these books about loyalty, competition, 
about
> assessing who is on your side, trusting, betrayal, etc.
> 
> I could go on in this vein but will probably stop here for now.
> Comments?


Among "equals" (and I put this word in quotes because certainly there 
are great gaps of ability among the good witches and wizards) loyalty 
is voluntary, and offered out of love and admiration. Among the evil, 
loyalty is compelled. 

It is true that folks like Crouch or the Lestranges seem to offer
voluntary loyalty to Voldemort. This is because they are enraged, and 
bent on malicious revenage. Voldemort and Crouch's obsessions are 
with how badly they were treated by their fathers. They get revenge 
on their fathers, and then on all the rest of the world. (In contrast 
with someone like Harry who is treated badly by the Dursleys, but 
instead makes the choice to ally himself with good. As Professor 
Dumbledore says (paraphrase) it is our choices rather than our 
abilities that define us.

Dumbledore also makes the point in Book IV to Cornelius Fudge that he 
is against no one but Voldemort. His loyalty lies with anyone who 
will oppose evil.

It is a contrast between the politician who stays bought and the 
person who supports another because of their integrity.